Development and feasibility of a modified Fugl-Meyer lower extremity assessment for telerehabilitation: a pilot study

Pilot and Feasibility Studies

Marcela Botero¹  Brianna Fong¹  Botond Jakab¹  Emily Petter¹  Allison Evers¹  Janice J. Eng²  Sue Peters³ 

[1] Department of Physical Therapy Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 212 - 2177 Wesbrook Mall, V6T 1Z3, Vancouver, BC, Canada;Department of Physical Therapy Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 212 - 2177 Wesbrook Mall, V6T 1Z3, Vancouver, BC, Canada;Rehabilitation Research Program, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, 4255 Laurel Street, V5Z 2G9, Vancouver, BC, Canada;Elborn College, Room 1000, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street London, N6A 3K7, Ontario, Canada;

关键词: Stroke;    Telerehabilitation;    Physical therapy;    Fugl-Meyer;    Lower extremity;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40814-021-00862-8

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe majority of stroke survivors experience motor impairment which benefits from rehabilitation treatment. Telerehabilitation, remote delivery of rehabilitation services, is a possible solution providing access to rehabilitation for stroke survivors living in rural areas or in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic where face-to-face treatment may be risky. However, valid and reliable motor impairment measures have not yet been established over a telerehabilitation platform. The Fugl-Meyer (FM) lower extremity assessment is widely used clinically and in research. Thus, the aim was to develop a modified FM for telerehabilitation (FM-tele) and assess the feasibility and preliminary agreement of FM-tele scores with the FM.MethodsThree phases were employed: phase 1 development, phase 2 feasibility, and phase 3 preliminary agreement. Literature review and consultation with clinicians were employed to develop the FM-tele. Community-dwelling individuals with stroke and FM evaluators were consulted to provide feedback via questionnaires on the feasibility of the FM-tele. To assess the preliminary agreement of the FM-tele, individuals with stroke participated in two sessions, one in-person and one via telerehabilitation. The standard version of the FM was administered during the in-person session. The FM-tele was administered in both sessions.ResultsFrom phase 1, clinician consultation identified the following key principles: safety of the client, clear lower extremity visualization, and minimization of position changes which guided FM-tele development (n = 7). Feasibility was established in phase 2 where participants with stroke indicated that they felt safe and experienced ease following the standardized instructions, despite some technological concerns (n = 5). FM evaluators agreed that participants were safe and indicated effective standardized instructions. Phase 3 (n = 5) indicated preliminary agreement of the FM-tele compared with the FM.ConclusionsParticipants with stroke and clinical consultation indicated the FM-tele developed for telerehabilitation is feasible. A lower extremity motor assessment tool for telerehabilitation is urgently needed for stroke survivors living in rural areas or when face-to-face visits are impossible. This pilot study provides preliminary support for a future study.

【 授权许可】

CC BY